South Carolina Wins National Title, Iowa Finishes as Runner-Up
Number one is number one for a reason.
Top-ranked South Carolina entered Sunday's national championship game at 37-0 on the season and the Gamecocks had gone undefeated on the back of tremendous depth, length, and improved outside shooting ability. All three of those assets shone on Sunday as South Carolina dispatched Iowa, 87-75, to win a second national championship in the past three seasons.
Caitlin Clark, playing in her final game at Iowa, finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but couldn't reproduce the exact magic that she had captured in leading Iowa to its 77-73 upset of South Carolina in the Final Four last season. Clark was held to just 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting over the final three quarters.
The Hawkeyes got the start they would have wanted, leaping out to a quick 10-0 lead in the opening minutes behind some hot shooting (and a few misses by South Carolina). The Gamecocks eventually started hitting shots, but Iowa still led 27-20 after one quarter, thanks to a NCAA championship game-record 18 points from Clark, who was on fire to start.
The hot shooting did not persist for Clark or the Hawkeyes. Iowa shot just 7-of-18 in the second quarter, with Clark making only one of six tries from the field. Only Hannah Stuelke's 9 points in the quarter helped keep Iowa close at the break; the Gamecocks led 49-46 at halftime.
The offense did not heat up after halftime, either. Iowa scored only 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting (29%), including a frigid 1-of-9 effort from beyond the arc. The Hawkeyes got some clean looks on offense, they simply couldn't get the shots to fall.
Iowa was able to cut the lead to five (80-75) with 4:12 to play after an and-one by Sydney Affolter. Iowa did not score again after that point, though, finishing with three missed shots, two turnovers, and a blocked shot in their remaining possessions.
South Carolina was simply relentless after overcoming their cold-shooting start. The Gamecocks came at Iowa in waves and with a bevy of different looks. Nine different players played at least 14 minutes in the game for South Carolina and all scored.
Five different South Carolina players scored at least nine points in the game and four finished between 11 and 19 points, led by Tessa Johnson with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The Gamecocks also finished with a 37-0 edge in bench points.
Kamilla Cardoso looked like an impossible matchup for Iowa before the game and she lived up to that billing during the game as well, finishing with 15 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. South Carolina owned the glass, with a 51-29 advantage overall and an 18-7 edge in offensive boards that resulted in 30 second chance points.
A year ago, Iowa was able to upset South Carolina thanks in part to outside shooting. The Gamecocks were just 4-of-20 from 3-point range in that game. South Carolina improved its outside shooting this season and it paid dividends in this game, as the Gamecocks went 8-of-19 from long range, led by a trio of triples apiece from Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao.
Iowa finished 9-of-23 from beyond the arc, which was respectable, but given the disadvantages the Hawkeyes faced elsewhere, not nearly as good as it needed to be. Iowa likely needed some lights-out shooting from deep to spring this upset, and it didn't materialize, with Clark finishing 5-of-13 from distance and Affolter and Kate Martin combining to go 2-of-7 on three-point tries.
Outside shooting took on even more importance for Iowa given the Hawkeyes' struggles around the rim. Iowa finished 12-of-27 on layups in the game, missing countless shots near the rim. Many of those misses were a result of the waves of fresh bodies the Gamecocks could send at Iowa on defense and the incredible size on this South Carolina roster. Converting shots among giants isn't easy.
The loss ends Iowa's 11-game winning streak and leaves the Hawkeyes again one game short of a first-ever national championship. This game is also the bittersweet ending to this season and this era of Iowa women's basketball; this was the final game in an Iowa uniform for Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Sharon Goodman, and Molly Davis, players who captivated a state and then a nation over the past two seasons.
It's unfortunate that their seasons -- and Iowa careers -- will end on a loss, but they leave the program -- and the sport -- in a better place than it was before they arrived in Iowa City. Sunday was a loss, but the cumulative impact of the last four years has been a massive win for the Iowa program and women's basketball overall.